Hughes H-4 Hercules

Hughes Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1947 · transport aircraft

The Hughes H-4 Hercules, popularly known as the 'Spruce Goose', is the largest flying boat ever constructed and one of the largest aircraft of any type to have flown. Built of laminated birch, it flew only once, on 2 November 1947.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	66.65 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

World's largest flying boat — the 'Spruce Goose'
Eight Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radials (capped to 4 in count; real count: 8)
All-wood construction with massive 97.54 m wingspan

Its enormous scale is immediately obvious — at 97.54 m the wingspan exceeds that of any other aircraft. Eight huge radial engines on a high strut-braced wing above a boat hull, with characteristic stabilising floats on the outer wings.

Specifications

The Hughes H-4 Hercules has a length of 66.65 m (219 ft).
It has a wingspan of 97.54 m (320 ft).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Howard Hughes began the H-4 project during World War II as a massive troop and cargo transport that would not require strategic metals. Construction took years longer than planned, and the war ended before the aircraft was ready. Hughes personally piloted its only flight — a 1.6 km hop over Long Beach Harbour at 21 m altitude. The aircraft is preserved in Evergreen Aviation Museum, Oregon.

Variants

Only one aircraft was built; no variants were produced.

Where you'll see it

The H-4 flew once and was never operated in service. It is now a museum exhibit.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.